The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has officially confirmed the IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026, which is the news that thousands of candidates who have cleared the IBPS PO Prelims exam are eagerly awaiting.
The IBPS PO 2026 recruitment process has been initiated through its CRP PO/MT-XVI to recruit Probationary Officer/Management Trainee positions in 11 participating public sector banks (PSBs). The Preliminary Examination was held on 22nd and 23rd August 2026 and the result of the Preliminary Examination was announced on 23rd September 2026.
In this article, you will learn about IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026, admit card, exam pattern (new), selection process, vacancies details and previous year cut-off.
According to the official IBPS Calendar, IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026 has been confirmed on 4 October 2026. Those who passed the Prelims exam can now appear for this stage.
It is advised that the candidates only refer the official IBPS website to get their admit card and all other information related to the exam and not any unverified information on social media.
Also read: https://tazanews.in/rajasthan-cet-12th-level-2026/
IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026: Complete Overview
Here is a quick overview of the IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026 and the overall recruitment cycle:
| Particulars | Details |
| Conducting body | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) |
| Exam name | Common Recruitment Process for PO/MT (CRP PO/MT-XVI) |
| Post | Probationary Officer (PO)/Management Trainee (MT) |
| Participating banks | 11 Public Sector Banks |
| Total vacancies | 7,565 (Revised) |
| Prelims exam date | 22 and 23 August 2026 |
| Prelims result date | 23 September 2026 |
| Mains exam date | 4 October 2026 |
| Mains admit card | To be announced |
| Exam mode | Online (Objective + Descriptive) |
| Selection process | Prelims, Mains, Personality Test, Interview |
| Age limit | 20 to 30 years (as on 1 July 2026) |
| Official website | ibps.in |
Official Website to Download the IBPS PO Mains Admit Card 2026
The official website to download the IBPS PO Mains Admit Card 2026 is ibps.in, under the CRP PO/MT-XVI section.
No admit card will be sent by post or email; it will only be available for download through the official IBPS portal using the candidate’s registration number and password/date of birth.
Suggested reading: Hindi Diwas 2026: History, Importance, Facts and Why September 14
IBPS PO 2026: Important Dates
Below is the complete timeline for the IBPS PO 2026 recruitment cycle, leading up to the IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026 and beyond:
| Event | Date |
| Notification release | 30 June 2026 |
| Online application start | 1 July 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 26 July 2026 |
| Application correction window | 29 to 30 July 2026 |
| Pre-exam training | August 2026 |
| Prelims admit card | August 2026 |
| Prelims exam date | 22 and 23 August 2026 |
| Prelims result | 23 September 2026 |
| Mains admit card | To be announced |
| Mains exam date | 4 October 2026 |
| Interview | November/December 2026 |
| Final result | January 2027 |
IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern 2026 (Revised)
IBPS Exam Pattern 2026 Mains has been updated. The number of objective questions have been increased from 145 to 170 and the marks allocation across sections has been changed. The new pattern is like this::
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Reasoning | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| General/Economy/Banking Awareness, Digital & Financial Awareness (incl. RBI circulars) | 50 | 60 | 35 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 20 | 35 minutes |
| Data Analysis & Interpretation | 40 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 170 | 200 | 160 minutes |
In addition to the objective test, candidates must also attempt a Descriptive Test, as detailed below:
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Essay and Comprehension (Letter/Essay writing) | 2 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Both sectional and overall cut-offs apply in the Mains examination, and the marks obtained here are considered for the final merit list, unlike the qualifying-only Prelims stage.
IBPS PO 2026 Selection Process
The IBPS PO 2026 recruitment process involves four stages and candidates need to pass every stage to advance to the next one:
1.     Preliminary Examination (Qualifying) – English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability.
2.     Marks are not calculated for the merit list. Main Examination – Objective and Descriptive Tests (sectional and overall cut-off).
3.     Marks are included in last merit list. Personality Test – A required, but not qualifying, self-report test of which the profile is provided to the interview panel.
4.     Interview – 100 marks to be awarded by the participating banks.
5.     The final merit list is made with 80% marks obtained in Mains and 20% marks obtained in the Interview
Also read: UP Home Guard PET Admit Card 2026 Released, Download Hall Ticket
IBPS PO Vacancy 2026 (Category-wise)
IBPS has released a revised vacancy list, and the total number of vacancies now stands at 7,565 — around 29% higher than last year. The category-wise breakup is given below:
| Category | Vacancies |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 1,161 |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 577 |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 2,069 |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | 741 |
| UR (Unreserved) | 3,017 |
| Total | 7,565 |
IBPS PO Previous Year Cut Off Marks (Mains)
While appearing for the IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026, it helps to know how the previous cycle’s cut-offs looked. As per the 2025 cycle, the Mains cut off (out of 225 marks) was as follows:
| Category | Mains Cut Off (Out of 225) |
| General (GEN) | 75.75 |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 75.75 |
| EWS | 72.5 |
| SC | 59 |
| ST | 51.75 |
| Hearing Impaired (HI) | 38.75 |
| Orthopaedically Challenged (OC) | 50.75 |
| Visually Impaired (VI) | 45 |
| Intellectual Disability (ID) | 35.75 |
Also read : WBSSC Group C & D Result 2026
IBPS PO Salary 2026
The revised pay scale for an IBPS PO is ₹48,480-2000/7-62,480-2340/2-67,160-2680/7-85,920. The basic salary is Rs. 48,480/- per month and approximate in-hand salary comes to Rs. 74,000-76,000/- per month as per place of posting and applicable allowances like DA, HRA and CCA. The selected candidates are given two years of probation and get on-the-job training in different banking responsibilities before they are confirmed as permanent employees.
What After the IBPS PO Mains Exam?
After successful completion of the Mains examination, the candidates who have successfully passed the sectional cutoff and overall cutoff will be shortlisted for the Personality Test which will be followed by Interview conducted by the participating banks.The final selection is made based on the performance of the students in the Mains stage and the Interview stage.
Ongoing: Regularly visit IBPS official website for Mains result and further call letters for Personality Test/Interview. If possible, begin preparation for Interview and Personality Test along with Mains preparation. Keep yourself informed with the Current Affairs and Banking Awareness which are also tested in the Interview stage. Keep all admit cards, response sheets and result printout, for future reference
Conclusion
Candidates who have cleared the preliminary exam of IBPS PO are now assured with a fixed date to prepare for their final day, the IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026 has been officially announced as 4 October 2026. Now the exam pattern has been changed, candidates are advised to concentrate on all four sections and descriptive paper, and follow ibps.in for further updates and admit card.
FAQs
IBPS PO Mains Exam Date 2026? What is the date of the IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026?
The IBPS PO Mains Exam is going to be held on 4 October 2026.
What is the date on which IBPS PO Mains Admit Card 2026 will be released?
IBPS didn’t yet specify the exact date for the Mains Admit Card. The candidates are advised to regularly visit the official website ibps.in for updates.
What are the eligibility criteria for IBPS PO Mains Exam 2026?
The candidates who qualified in IBPS PO Preliminary Examination which was conducted on 22-23 August 2026 will be eligible for appearing in the Mains examination.
Is there any change in the IBPS PO Mains Exam Pattern for 2026?
Yes. The pattern of the Mains examination has been changed by IBPS with an increased number of objective type questions (from 145 to 170) and a change in the marks allocation in each section. The descriptive paper will not change in marks, still 25.
What is the overall vacancy of IBPS PO 2026?
IBPS has released 7565 revised posts for Probationary Officer/Management Trainee (PO/MT) posts under CRP PO/MT-XVI.
What is Next after IBPS PO Mains Exam?
The candidates who qualify the mains round will enter in the personality test and interview round held by the participating banks as a final selection round.
What would be the initial salary of an IBPS PO?
The initial salary of an IBPS PO is ₹48,480, and his/her in-hand salary is around ₹74,000-76,000 per month (based on posting and applicable allowances).
My name is Santosh Rana, and I am the Founder and Content Writer at Taza News, where I actively cover Education, Board Exam Results, Admit Cards, Government Jobs, Technology, and Breaking News updates. As the founder of the platform, I am committed to building a trusted digital news source that delivers accurate, timely, and reader-friendly information to audiences across India.
